Thrustmaster T598 review: the 5Nm PS5 direct-drive bundle
Researched overview Manufacturer listings and owner reports, with no hands-on testing.
The Thrustmaster T598 makes 5Nm of constant torque from a Direct Axial Drive motor, and it’s one of the few real direct-drive bundles licensed for PS5 and PS4. The axial-flux design puts the magnets on a flat disc and bolts the rim straight to it, so the belt slack and gear lash of a T300 are simply gone. On transients it overshoots up to +100%, briefly spiking to ~10Nm on a kerb strike or a sudden loss of grip before settling back, so 5Nm constant hits harder than the number reads.
| Drive type | Direct drive (Direct Axial Drive, axial-flux motor) |
|---|---|
| Peak torque | 5Nm constant, up to +100% overshoot (~10Nm) on transients |
| Price | $499.99 bundle MSRP for the PlayStation & PC configuration (servo base + 30cm Sportcar wheel add-on + Raceline Pedals LTE); the Xbox & PC page reads $599.99 |
| Platforms | PS5, PS4, and PC on the PlayStation & PC configuration; Xbox in place of PlayStation on the Xbox & PC configuration |
| Quick release | Not named on any T598 page; rim swaps with Formula, GT, and rally Wheel Add-Ons, and older Thrustmaster rims need a $44.99 or $54.99 conversion part |
| Software | Race Dash config screen; HARMONY high-frequency effects, which Thrustmaster words as torque on the PlayStation & PC page and as vibrations on the Xbox & PC page; ~5ms latency |
| Best for | The cheapest genuine direct-drive bundle for PS5 |
Who it’s for
Section titled “Who it’s for”Real direct drive on a PlayStation, bought as one complete box.
Buy it if:
- You race on PS5 or PS4 and want genuine direct drive the console will recognize, which is rare at this price.
- You want a complete setup in one purchase: base, the 30cm Sportcar rim, and pedals.
- You want an upgrade path. The Sportcar rim comes off, and Thrustmaster’s newer Formula, GT, and rally Wheel Add-Ons state native compatibility with the T598. Its older rims need a conversion part the box does not include, at $44.99 or $54.99, which the Thrustmaster quick release guide sorts out per rim.
Not the one if you’re on Xbox (buy the Xbox & PC configuration instead, or the Moza R5 for PC and Xbox) or you want a deeper PlayStation ecosystem (look at the Fanatec GT DD Pro).
What it’s like to drive
Section titled “What it’s like to drive”The jump off belt. 5Nm doesn’t sound like much next to an 8Nm or 12Nm base, but the jump off a belt wheel is the one that matters, and on the T598 it’s large. HARMONY carries the high-frequency band a belt smooths away, so kerb edges and the front tire scrubbing survive to your hands, and the ~5ms latency keeps the wheel honest under quick corrections. Thrustmaster words that channel two ways: “high-frequency torque” on the PlayStation & PC page against “high-frequency vibrations” on the Xbox & PC page, read 28 July 2026. It names no hardware difference between the two boxes, whose contents match item for item.
Where it tops out. For most cars 5Nm is usable, so set the base near its ceiling and trim in-game gain to avoid clipping, where the strongest cues flatten into one wall of force. The per-base FFB guide covers Thrustmaster’s Race Dash settings.
Watch-outs
Section titled “Watch-outs”- The Raceline Pedals LTE are entry-level. Two pedals, and Thrustmaster’s own listing reserves the load-cell brake for the Raceline Pedals Upgrade Kit, which both T598 pages describe as “sold separately, available soon” and which Thrustmaster’s US eshop does not list (read 28 July 2026), so nothing in this box brakes by pressure and the announced fix is not on sale yet. A load-cell pedal set is the first upgrade and moves lap times more than any extra torque would.
- The Sportcar rim is merely average. It does the job, but it’s the part reviewers single out as forgettable. It comes off without touching the base, and Thrustmaster footnotes the replacement itself: “Some Wheel Add-On models may require an adapter. Compatibility list available on the Thrustmaster website.” (read 2 August 2026). Which of its rims need one, and what the parts cost, is in the Thrustmaster quick release guide.
- One console per configuration. The PlayStation & PC configuration is PS5, PS4, and PC only, and the license is fixed at purchase. Xbox means buying the Xbox & PC configuration instead, which ships the same eleven items, so pick the platform before you order.
- 5Nm is the ceiling. There’s no boost kit. If you already know you want heavier GT3 weight, look at a base that starts higher rather than planning to grow into this one.
Alternatives to consider
Section titled “Alternatives to consider”- Fanatec GT DD Pro: the other console-legal PS5 direct drive, with a deeper rim-and-accessory ecosystem and a Boost Kit path to 8Nm.
- Logitech RS50: PlayStation and tri-platform direct drive with TrueForce, if Logitech’s ecosystem and game integration matter to you.
- Moza R5: a $599 bundle that drives as it ships. Moza’s listing gives “Platform: PC” and names no console anywhere on the page (checked July 2026), so nothing on it says a PS5 will see this base.
The first dollar after the base goes to a load-cell brake, since the bundled pedals are the T598’s weakest part. See the buying guide by budget for where it sits among console-capable bases, and the brand comparison for how Thrustmaster’s ecosystem stacks up.
Which platforms it works on
The options this product is sold as do not answer alike, so each platform answer names the options it covers.
- PC
- Yes“PC” Thrustmaster’s own listing for the PlayStation & PC option, checked July 2026.The first button in this page's “Platforms” block, which links Thrustmaster's own PC platform page.“PC” Thrustmaster’s own listing for the Xbox & PC option, checked July 2026.The first button in this page's “Platforms” block, which links Thrustmaster's own PC platform page.
- PlayStation
- YesPlayStation & PC option only“PS4™” “PS5™” Thrustmaster’s own listing for the PlayStation & PC option, checked July 2026.The other two buttons in the same block, in its order, each linking Thrustmaster's platform page for that console. This is the one surface on either T598 page that names a console generation.
- Xbox
- YesXbox & PC option only“XBOX” Thrustmaster’s own listing for the Xbox & PC option, checked July 2026.The second and last button in the same block, linking Thrustmaster's own Xbox platform page. It names no console generation, where the PlayStation page names two.
- Console license
- Not recorded
- How it connects
- Plugs into a computer over USB“1 x USB cable” “1 x pedal set cable”Thrustmaster’s own listing, checked July 2026.Both lines are items in Thrustmaster's own “Box content” list, the one this page's box section records whole. Thrustmaster prints no port spec and no sentence about what plugs into what, so the box's own USB cable and the platform buttons the answers above quote are the whole of it. The second line is the cable for the pedal set and the list does not say which end of it goes where. Nothing on either page states what the wheel add-on or the pedals do on another brand's base.
On the PlayStation & PC option’s listing: Thrustmaster writes nothing about an Xbox on this page, so it settles nothing about one. The only occurrence of the string is inside a Spanish reseller's link URL in the reseller list. The page's own heading is “T598 (PLAYSTATION / PC)”, and the Xbox & PC option below is the box Thrustmaster licenses for that console.
On the Xbox & PC option’s listing: This page names no PlayStation anywhere, in any case, so it settles nothing about one. Its own heading is “T598 (XBOX / PC)”.
What’s in the box
This product is sold as more than one option, and each list below is that option’s own, read off that option’s own listing. They come back item for item the same.
The PlayStation & PC option
- 1 x T598 servo base
- 1 x Sportcar wheel add-on
- 1 x Raceline Pedals LTE
- 2 x carpet grips
- 1 x clamping system
- 1 x 98 W power supply
- 1 x AC power cable
- 1 x USB cable
- 1 x pedal set cable
- 1 x Torx wrench to adjust pedals
- Instruction manual and warranty information
The Xbox & PC option
- 1 x T598 servo base
- 1 x Sportcar wheel add-on
- 1 x Raceline Pedals LTE
- 2 x carpet grips
- 1 x clamping system
- 1 x 98 W power supply
- 1 x AC power cable
- 1 x USB cable
- 1 x pedal set cable
- 1 x Torx wrench to adjust pedals
- Instruction manual and warranty information
Read off the manufacturer’s own box list of 11 items for the Xbox & PC option, checked July 2026.
What that covers
- Wheel
- Included“1 x Sportcar wheel add-on” “DETACHABLE SPORTCAR WHEEL RIM 11.8″ / 30 cm, with mag-shift paddle shifters”The second line is the same page's feature copy for that rim. Both boxes hold the same wheel: the two lists above carry that first line word for word, and both pages carry that feature copy word for word. Thrustmaster publishes no SKU for it and sells it nowhere on its own (https://www.thrustmaster.com/en-us/universe/racing/, read 28 July 2026).
- Pedals
- Included“1 x Raceline Pedals LTE” “METAL PEDAL SET 2 pedals, upgradable to 3-pedal version”The second line is the same page's feature copy for that set. Both boxes hold the same pedals, on the same evidence as the wheel above. Thrustmaster's SKU for the set is 4060373, and it belongs to the Raceline Pedals LTE sold on its own at $99.99 rather than to either T598 box (https://eshop.thrustmaster.com/en_us/raceline-pedals-lte.html, read 28 July 2026).
- Clutch
- Not in the box“The pedal set can be upgraded with a third Load Cell pedal thanks to Raceline Pedals Upgrade Kit (sold separately, available soon)”Thrustmaster gives the set in the box as two pedals, so the third pedal that would be a clutch is the upgrade kit rather than part of this purchase.
- Power supply
- Included“1 x 98 W power supply” “1 x AC power cable”
- Quick release
- Listing does not sayThe box list names no quick release, and Thrustmaster calls the rim detachable without saying what attaches it. The same page sells a Quick Release Adapter and a Quick Release Upgrade as separate accessories, so what ships fitted to the Sportcar wheel is unsettled. It leaves this record's four cost totals alone: the rim ships fitted and steers.
- Desk clamp
- Included“1 x clamping system”The box list assigns that item to no part. The same page's configurator offers a separate “TM Racing Clamp” at $129.99 under “Mounting System”, so the clamp Thrustmaster charges for is not the one in the box. Reading the box item as the base's desk mount is still inferred, and Thrustmaster has not confirmed it.
- Cables
- Included“1 x USB cable” “1 x pedal set cable”
- Mounting hardware
- Not in the boxThe box list carries a clamping system, two carpet grips, and a Torx wrench for the pedals, and no bolts, T-nuts, washers, or plates for fixing the base to a rig.
How it mounts
- Mounting pattern
- Listing does not sayThrustmaster states no mount. Neither T598 page names a hole pattern, a fastener, or a spacing, and neither carries a spec table that could hold one.
- Desk or rig
- Listing does not sayNeither T598 page names a desk, a table, a rig, or a cockpit. The box list carries a clamping system and two carpet grips, and the page says what neither is for, which is the reading recorded under "What's in the box" rather than here.
Optional upgrades
“METAL PEDAL SET 2 pedals, upgradable to 3-pedal version” “The pedal set can be upgraded with a third Load Cell pedal thanks to Raceline Pedals Upgrade Kit (sold separately, available soon)” Thrustmaster’s own words, naming one part, checked July 2026.
Both lines are the T598 page's own feature copy for the Raceline Pedals LTE in the box. Nothing on this record's three cost totals moves with the part below: a brake and a throttle is what the enough-to-drive total asks for, and the box holds both.
- Raceline LC Upgrade
- $179.99“Raceline LC Upgrade is an upgrade kit compatible with the Raceline Pedals LTE and Raceline Pedals III pedal sets.” “Raceline LC Upgrade includes a Load Cell brake pedal, an additional spring and elastomer buffer, a metal plate for 3 pedals, and 2 anthracite gray metal pedal heads for the clutch and accelerator.”Thrustmaster's own words on that part's listing, which names the Raceline Pedals LTE this box ships. Whether it is the “Raceline Pedals Upgrade Kit” the T598 page names is unsettled.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Thrustmaster T598 work on PS5?
Yes. The PlayStation & PC configuration is licensed for PS5, PS4, and PC, which is the main reason to buy it: a genuine direct-drive base that a PlayStation will actually recognize is rare at this price. It does not support Xbox. Xbox players buy the Xbox & PC configuration of the same bundle instead. The console license is tied to the configuration, so buy the one for your platform.
What comes in the Thrustmaster T598 bundle?
Eleven items, and Thrustmaster lists the same eleven for both boxes: the T598 servo base, the Sportcar wheel add-on, the Raceline Pedals LTE, 2 carpet grips, a clamping system, a 98W power supply, an AC power cable, a USB cable, a pedal set cable, a Torx wrench for the pedals, and the manual. Nothing else has to be bought before it drives. The first thing to budget for is a load-cell pedal set, because the two-pedal Raceline set is the weak link.
Is 5Nm enough on the T598?
For most drivers, yes. 5Nm of constant torque is real direct drive, several times stronger than a T300 belt wheel, and the +100% transient overshoot means it briefly spikes to ~10Nm on a kerb strike or a snap of grip. You'll feel weight transfer and the front letting go. If you want a deeper PS5 ecosystem later, the Fanatec GT DD Pro is the upgrade.
T598 or Fanatec GT DD Pro for PS5?
Both are console-legal direct drive. The T598 wins on price and ships as a full bundle with pedals. The Fanatec GT DD Pro wins on ecosystem depth and a Boost Kit path to 8Nm. If the cheapest working DD bundle is the goal, the T598; if you plan to keep buying rims and accessories, Fanatec.